This invention relates to read next instruction systems (RNI) utilized in computer systems.
Most modern high-speed computer systems employ some type of system to fetch and parse information prior to its processing by the arithmetic logic unit (ALU) of the computer system in order to minimize processing time. Such systems reorganize the information which will be input into the ALU into a form which is more or less directly usable by the ALU. This has important time saving advantages because the ALU will be able to minimize its time spent fetching and decoding instructions.
The design of a particular such preprocessing system or read next instruction (RNI) system will depend in large part upon the particular computer system in which it is utilized. Computer systems which are intended for use in scientific applications generally have rather straightforward and consistent instruction sets which in most cases do not require a complicated RNI system. Business computer systems, on the other hand, normally emphasize file handling capability and often have fairly complicated instruction sets which in turn require a more complex RNI system.